Low-Fat Stands Between You and Your Health
Disclaimer: I'm sharing what has worked for me, made me feel my best, and why I think this approach works. I’m not a doctor or certified nutritionist, so while you can consider these changes, always do what works best for you in the end!
The biggest misconception about nutrition is that fat is bad for you. Our whole lives, nutrition “experts,” doctors, and mainstream media have told us to limit our fat intake, claiming it would make us fat, clog our arteries, and contribute to heart disease. However, given the current state of health in our country, it’s clear this message hasn’t worked. People are more overweight than ever, and heart disease remains the leading cause of death. It’s time to rethink our views on fat, which could be the key to better health. Most fats are good for you, and you should consider adding more to your diet.
Why do we think fat is bad?
Why do we think fat is bad? What has led nutritionists and doctors to adopt this viewpoint for decades? In the 1960s, scientist Ancel Keys popularized a low-fat, high-carb diet, driving unhealthy dietary transitions in Western society. Keys suggested to lawmakers and government authorities that saturated fat contributed to heart disease. Unfortunately, his ideas failed to account for the sugar consumption associated with eating fat. From a different perspective, sugar could be considered as the real problem instead of fat. Keys was later accused of “cherry-picking” data to make his hypothesis seem stronger than it was. Despite other scientists finding evidence at the time that sugar consumption correlated more closely with heart disease than saturated fat, Keys’ ideas are still widely accepted in the societal health space today.
Every time you see “low-fat” products like milk and yogurt advertised as superior to whole and full-fat products, it’s based on highly questionable science. Since adopting Keys’ viewpoint of a high-carb, low-fat diet, the heart disease epidemic has skyrocketed, along with other diseases such as obesity, cancer, and mental health problems. It may be time to reconsider: is fat still the problem here?
Fat fueled our evolution as a species
Looking at human evolution, fat consumption might be a key reason for our survival today. Throughout most of our history, humans consumed fat from various sources, including game animals, fish, and insects. The fat content varied depending on the animal, including organ meats and bone marrow, but we consumed a significant amount of it. Seafood is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for brain health. Additionally, plant sources such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and others were often consumed, providing a mix of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
These sources of fat helped us survive during times of food scarcity. The extra calories kept us healthy and fertile. More importantly, fat has been crucial for the development and growth of the human brain, enabling us to rise to the top of the food chain. Our genes are built to thrive from dietary fat.
Types of fats
The failure to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy fats has contributed to the negative societal perception of fat. For example, the USDA Food Pyramid suggests consuming all forms of fat “sparingly.” In reality, you should be increasing your intake of good fats while eliminating bad fats from your diet.
Let’s take a look at good fats and bad fats based on what I have learned in health coaching school so far.
Saturated Fat ✅
Found in: Animal foods such as meat, eggs, butter, cream, and cheese.
Why is it good: These fats are temperature-stable and resistant to oxidative damage when exposed to heat, light, and oxygen, making butter a healthy choice for cooking. They are an excellent source of caloric energy, keep you full longer, and aid in weight management. Additionally, saturated fats are good for cellular health, as they make up the structure of cell membranes, providing integrity and stability to your cells. Lastly, they are beneficial for brain health, contributing to the structure of neurons and playing a role in the signaling process.
Monounsaturated Fat ✅
Found in: Macadamia nuts, avocados, avocado oil, olives, and extra virgin olive oil.
Why is it good: They enhance cardiovascular function by lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke. These fats have anti-inflammatory properties, helping to decrease inflammation in the body, which is beneficial for overall health, considering inflammation is the building block for most modern diseases. Additionally, monounsaturated fats aid in the absorption of vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects immune cells from oxidative damage.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids ✅
Found in: Oily, cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring. They are also present in pasture-raised eggs, leafy greens, animal meats, nuts, and seeds.
Why is it good: They help moderate systemic inflammation, increase insulin sensitivity, and reduce the risk of heart attacks, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, and brain issues such as depression, ADHD, and Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids are great for skin health.
Omega-6 Fatty Acids ✅❌
Found in: Healthy sources include nuts and seeds, while unhealthy sources include vegetable oils, grain-fed meat, bakery items, and processed, packaged, and frozen foods.
Why is it good and bad: Omega-6 fatty acids from nutritious foods offer health benefits, but they are mostly consumed from unhealthy sources. Due to the industrial manufacturing of vegetable seed oils, these sources of Omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory, contributing to high blood pressure, heart disease, suppressed immune function, suboptimal neurological function, and other problems.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ✅❌
Found in: Healthy sources include fatty fish, seeds, and nuts while unhealthy sources include vegetable seed oils (such as canola, sunflower, soy, corn, and safflower), butter-like spreads, salad dressings, and packaged foods.
Why is it good and bad: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are neither inherently good nor bad. However, the most common forms of PUFAs in today’s diet come from vegetable seed oils. Unfortunately, these oils are highly processed and become oxidized during manufacturing and cooking. The oxidative damage caused by these sources can harm the endocrine system, leading to disruptions in healthy hormones and immune function. Excessive exposure to oxidative damage can negatively impact your cells and DNA, leading to premature aging and early death.
Trans Fats ❌
Found in: baked goods (cakes cookies crackers), fried foods (donuts, french fries, fried chicken), margarine, shortening, and snack foods (microwave popcorn, chips, candy).
Why is it bad: Avoid these at all costs if you care about your health. The bulk of trans fats consumed by humans are the result of industrial manufacturing. They are used for two reasons: to extend the shelf life of foods and to add a buttery-rich texture to them. These man-made fats begin as polyunsaturated oils and then are pumped with hydrogen. This is represented by hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils on food packages. This process generates free radicals - highly reactive molecules that can inflict cellular and DNA damage. Represented by brain fog, memory loss, and diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Additionally, trans fats can freely pass through the blood-brain barrier, leading to cognitive decline because the fats stiffen your neuronal membranes, which makes it more difficult for neurotransmitters to do their jobs. A study from 2015 found those who ate the most trans fats recalled twelve fewer words than those who consumed no trans fats at all.
What are some ways I have added healthy fats to my diet?
Cook with butter or coconut oil
Replace canola oil-based non-stick spray with extra virgin olive oil
Add MCT oil and avocado to my protein shake
Add nuts, eggs, and meat to breakfast instead of bread; it keeps me fuller for much longer and limits overeating
Make my own salad dressing (extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper)
Switch from low-fat to whole-fat dairy
Snack more on nuts and add seeds to salads
Take an omega-3 supplement
Use whole milk in my coffee instead of 2%
High-Quality Fat
Eating clean sources of fat is crucial for better health and well-being. It ensures you get more nutrients while avoiding harmful chemicals like pesticides and antibiotics that can harm you over time. Clean foods support environmental sustainability, ethical animal treatment, and local economies. Plus, they often taste better. Here are some key terms to guide you toward better choices at the store. Look for one or more of these words on the packaging to ensure you select high-quality, clean fat sources.
Meat
Grass-fed, Organic, Regeneratively raised, Free Range
Eggs
Pasture Raised, Free Range, Organic, Certified Humane
Plant Sources
Organic, non-GMO
Dairy
Grass-fed, Organic, Whole, Full-Fat
Fish
Wild Caught
Most of these options cost more, and if you can’t afford them all, that’s okay. Remind yourself you are on the right track and just go with the conventional option. Whole foods, even if they aren’t organic, are still better than anything processed!
As we reconsider the role of fat in our diets, it's clear that embracing healthy fats can lead to better overall health and well-being. The misconception that fat is inherently bad has been a long-standing barrier to achieving optimal health for most Americans. By distinguishing between beneficial and harmful fats and making informed dietary choices, we can finally nourish our bodies more effectively. So, next time you're faced with the decision between low-fat and whole-fat options, remember the evolutionary advantages and health benefits that good fats provide. It's time to shift our perspective and allow the right fats to be a cornerstone of our nutrition.
